1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to electronic-design-automation (EDA) techniques. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to technique for placing option devices to switch signal flows in schematic designs allowing different versions for the same design to be created.
2. Related Art
As semiconductor technology is scaled to ever smaller dimensions, there are commensurate increases in the complexity of circuit designs. For example, smaller dimensions typically result in circuit designs having an increased number of logic gates and time domains. Moreover, this increase in complexity typically results in a significant increase in the time and cost needed to design circuits.
Circuit design fundamentally has two components: abstraction of the functionality of the circuit via computer models, and the actual physical rendering and implementation or rendering of the design. The development of any given design progresses from one phase to the next; from functional abstraction via computer modeling to physical rendering. In this progression, there becomes a point where the lines between the two are blurred. Aspects of the physical implementation have to be accounted for in the functional computer modeling; and functional aspects of the circuit have to be accounted for in the physical implementation.
Traditionally, a designer uses option devices to switch signal flows in schematic designs. The main purpose is to create different versions for the same design. A layout engineer can do routing first and replace part of a wire by specific open/close layer shapes. For designs that include a significant number of option devices, placement can dominate the routing requiring a user to manually replace parts of routing wires or manually place option devices.
Accordingly, what is desired is to solve problems relating to option device placement, some of which may be discussed herein. Additionally, what is desired is to reduce drawbacks relating to option device placement, some of which may be discussed herein.